Abundant Sufferings, Abundant Comforts

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(2 Corinthians 1:5) For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort, too.

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This can also be translated: "For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." These sufferings are not self-inflicted for the sake of punishing or purifying ourselves or for patronizing God--they are Christ's sufferings. I share His sufferings by being one with Him through perspective, prayer, and obedience.

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The more I understand life through Christ's mind, the more I grieve at seeing violations of love and the tortures of distrusting God. The more I hear and trust the promises of God's Word, the more I recognize the good results of His good works. There is no better comfort.

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Lord, it seems that my own suffering causes me to reach out for my own addictive, self-destructive comforts. Help me, Jesus, to live for You--to seek Your kingdom and Your will--instead of my own. Thank You for recently showing me once again that as I love and trust You in the midst of confusion and seemingly unbearable circumstances, You share Your supreme comforts with me--and that heals and frees me! Thank You!

Hail to the Chief!

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(Joshua 5:13,14) ... "Are You for us, or for our adversaries?" And He said, "No, but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come." ...

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This Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ is very informative: He is always the only one whose commands lead to ultimate safety, whose authority encompasses all authority and power. He unifies all our contradictory needs. Only in Him do mercy and truth merge perfectly. Only by obeying His commands does pure rightness and judgment blend lovingly with complete peace (Psalm 85:10).

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Joshua responded to Jesus' words by humbling himself in absolute worship, which he demonstrated by causing his entire body to declare His acquiescence to Jesus' authority. He offered God an open, unguarded, unlimited invitation to command him to action: "What does my Lord say to His servant?" Joshua responded with obedience. That prayer captures my heart and intentions, too.

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Lord, in our work places, our kitchens, bedrooms, and neighborhoods, our attempts at justice often lack mercy, just as our attempts at mercy often wound justice. The same problem exists with our attempts at truthfulness and love. Command me. Speak to me, too. Let Your kingdom come so my own circumstances become Your holy ground, the domain of Your tactical operations.

Pillars of Patience

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(1 Corinthians 15:58) Therefore by beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

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This is the point of Paul's teaching of the resurrection: Jesus came that we might keep and enjoy abundant life from now through eternity. This life consists of being in "beloved relationship" with other saints who are in the process of becoming more loving. This work that is not in vain consists of living out love before a bitter, angry, crushed, and hope-lost world. The tempter tries his best to cause us to abandon this work of faith, labor of love, and patient hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

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In Paul's explanation to the Corinthians (ch. 15) about the resurrection, I see an even greater demonstration of God's love than the cross. As shocking as it is that God would send His son to be murdered in payment of my sins, I stagger at the love that would send His Holy Spirit into me to convert my thoughts to love. I stagger at the love that promises to resurrect and heal my body so I can spend eternity in God's house as a beloved son. Amazing!

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Lord, where else could I go for such love? Where could I escape my self-induced despair if I neglect such a generous salvation? Thank You for Your patience that convinces me of Your presence and Your care. Thank You for Your Church, who, by listening to You, have become great encouragers, like You. Come, Lord Jesus, make me more like You!

Supply and Demand

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(1 Corinthians 1:30) He [God] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

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This description of God [theos] is that He is the creator who correctly places all elements of His creation so they accomplish His good purposes. And His good purpose for us includes a perfect abundance of all we really need to know and enjoy Him (2 Peter 1:3). Our primary needs, therefore, are (1) Christ's wisdom, (2) Christ's righteousness, (3) Christ's sanctification (being set apart exclusively for God's purposes), and (4) Christ's redemption (being fully delivered from slavery to sin).

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Last year, Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist, stood for hours near an entrance to a Washington D. C. subway station. He played some of the world's most beautiful music as people rushed by, ignoring him. For the most part, only children wanted to stop to listen. Oh, that I would always have a child's curiosity and trust so I might take seriously all the good things God placed in my life through Christ Jesus.

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Lord, forgive me for trivializing and discounting the gifts You've given me through the cross of Your only begotten son. By faith, I pause to drink freely and deeply from Your rich supply. By faith, I see now how beneficial my circumstances are toward helping me explore the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption You've given me through Jesus.

Spirit of Spit

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(Galatians 6:1) Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourselves, lest you too be tempted.

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The essence of temptation is choosing to hear, accept, then act out a lie from Hell. It's grabbing (secretively or clamorously) something that Love has forbidden. It's also opting to withhold good that's in our power to give (6:10), which is simply acting on the lie that God's love is limited and I need to be obnoxious to hoard His grace. How silly! In contrast, Jesus could have justly exploded His wrath on us, but (as described in Ephesians 2), He chose to quietly absorb our transgressions and offer us grace and mercy instead.

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When arguing or "exposing people's faults," I'm often tempted to grab the lie that being noisier makes me more right or overwhelming others with words makes me the winner. It's not easy to be gentle with people who spout different ideas ... until I learned how purging my own sins really helps me to be less harsh or antagonistic toward others as I try to help them (Matthew 7).

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Wonderful Savior, You have offered me such kindness and patience! You quietly paid for my foolish sins and You gently allowed me to voice some truly gross ideas as though I understood. Through Your longsuffering towards me, I discovered how wrong I have been and how right You are. Thank You.

True Love

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(Numbers 33:4) ... On their gods also the Lord executed judgments.

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This is what God does for us: He exposes the fraudulence of all our gods. He mercy compels Him to expose them for what they are; our stubborn recalcitrance compels Him to execute judgments so we admit their unreliability. The Israelites paid nothing to be delivered from these gods, but it cost them everything (give up all their false hopes and alliances) to wholly follow the Lord into the Promised Land (32:12).

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The Israelites were suddenly extremely wealthy when they left Egypt, and their Egyptian wealth locked their hearts to the Egyptian gods, even though God's judgments left them shattered. Jesus lamented, "How difficult it will be fore those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:23). But it is possible. Peter replied, "See, we have left everything and followed You!" (Mark 10:28). I, too, decide again today to wholly follow Jesus Christ and to make serving and pleasing Him my sole ambition.

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Lord, I believe You that You are the only God. I understand now that only when You are the preoccupation of my life will I be able to recognize how to graciously serve and love the people around me. O Lord, help me purge all false and treacherous loves from my heart!

Really Bad Advice

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(Numbers 31:16) Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

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Part of the terror of this chapter is the ease with which Balaam turned from being a godly prophet (chapter 24) to being a stooge of the Satan (24:14; 25:1-5; 31:16). Terrifying, too, is the logic of Balaam's bad counsel: it might even have been simply to suggest join Israel through marital alliances despite them being unequally yoked--believers with non-believers (1 Corinthians 6; 2 Corinthians 6:14).

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Personally, I'm terrified the this love of money (Balaam's) and the love the flesh (Israel's) could be so powerful. These desires are very seductive and strong (Colossians 3:5; Revelation 2:14). And the very gifts that God has reserved for us, Satan offers us, but with terrifying, toxic, and tragic results.

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Lord, I see from Your Word (1 Samuel 13:20; Mark 9:39-50; Ephesians 6:13-20) that I need to employ every tool, every weapon, in my grasp to fight my spiritual enemy, who insists the I pamper and protect myself instead of wholly following the Lord. The good news is that my days are filled with opportunities to reaffirm my choice to trust God completely.